About Me

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Welcome to 22 Revisions - a blog documenting what I do at work and in life... I’m Sacha and I’ve been in the advertising business for 22 years. In the summer of 2008, I moved my family from Cambridge to a little city north of Toronto called Peterborough to work at an advertising agency called BrandHealth. It has been challenging and unpredictable but the most important revision I have ever made. I am definitely not the most dedicated blogger, nor the most interesting person that has blogged but I hope my sporadic blogs provide some insights into this amazing city, company, industry and people I work with...

Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve Traditions

While everyone celebrates New Year's Eve in their own way, there seems to be a common theme. It's a time for setting things straight. Some people show this by doing a thorough housecleaning, returning borrowed objects, deleting Facebook friends, setting resolutions or patching up quarrels. In many cultures, people jump into the sea or a local body of water – literally washing away the past and starting a clean slate. 
I've been told, in some towns in Italy, you have to watch out for falling objects, as people shove their old sofas, chairs and even refrigerators out of their windows on New Year's Eve (Note: add that to my bucket list) In Ecuador, people make dummies, stuffed with straw, to represent the events of the past year. These effigies are burned at midnight and symbolizes getting rid of the past. Although this tradition isn't reserved just for New Year's, I know women who have done this for ex-boyfriends throughout the year. (I highly recommend it!)
But, everything you do on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day is performed with some thought for the future. The popular custom of spending the night with the one you love and kissing them at midnight, is done to insure that the relationship will flourish the next year. (I bet you didn't know that.)
I like to make up a different tradition every year. Tonight, I'm preparing a midnight supper of steak, red wine and a dozen cupcakes! And, one tradition I do like to keep is starting the year off by doing something creative and fun. Tomorrow the consensus is we're each going to paint a picture. Last year the theme was "self-portrait" and that was a disaster, so I'm really looking forward to painting over it this year. 
I was also googling some rituals for good fortune and learned that the color of underwear Brazilians wear on the first day of the new year has meaning. Pink brings love, yellow, prosperity; and white, peace and happiness... hmm, I wonder what polka dots bring?
How ever you choose to bring in the New Year, I hope it brings you much joy! Happy New Year!! 

Friday, December 30, 2011

Hey, this is my 100th blog post!! (insert confetti here)



So, here it is. Post 100. A long time coming, and finally here. Thank you to all who’ve stopped by and read Twenty-Two Revisions these last… ummm, two and half years. Thanks even more to those who have taken the time to post some comments along the way. It is greatly appreciated. Post 101 won’t be too far off! 

The ReFrame Film Festival... there's an app for that!!




Launched December 18, 2011, the Reframe2012 app is like having the Reframe Peterborough International Film Festival in the palm of your hand! With schedules, films and event listings (alphabetically and by category), venue maps, ticket information and more, you can plan your time at the 2012 Reframe film festival with ease.

Yes, I copied that from our app description :) 

Our clients are always shocked (and maybe you are too) when I tell them that BrandHealth has been developing apps since the Spring of 2010. But, I'm proud to say this is our very first public app available on iTunes for the iPhone and iPod. And, I'm thrilled that's it's for the ReFrame Film Festival. Browse through films while standing in line. Visit YouTube to watch the trailers. Then Google map directions to the venue. Big kudos goes out to Mark, for developing this app! It was truly designed for a great user experience. Download it for free from iTunes and let me know what you think!







2012 poster design - ReFrame International Film Festival




Last year the ReFrame poster design blog was ranked as my sixth most viewed posting... So, I thought I better follow it up again this year! And, I do so with great pride. This stunning poster was created by our newest designer Joe. He impressed us with a few amazing designs – ultimately Krista and the ReFrame team made the final decision – but, everyone knows I'm a sucker for anything retro. 

For the fourth year in a row, I’m proud to have BrandHealth be a supporter of this event. A big thank you to Krista and her team for being incredible people to work with, and thank you for bringing these international films to Peterborough. I'm looking forward to attending!!

So, if you are looking for something to do in Peterborough - the weekend of January 27-29th - get a ticket. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Tickets are available around town. If you need more information... Check out the poster 
and I hope to see you there!  



Is there an app for that? Why yes, there is!
http://brandhealthacd.blogspot.com/2011/12/reframe-film-festival-theres-app-for.html


Or follow them on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/reframefilmfestival

Monday, July 18, 2011

Art Director Wanted



It’s not that easy finding a great Art Director combined with an equally great designer, who also happens to be equally talented in both digital and traditional advertising and design.

If you think you are that person, here’s a list of “must have's” that ought to get you an interview:

• Must have 5 plus years experience on a creative team in an agency or design studio
• Must have a strong traditional print design background with a solid understanding of  
   digital production (mobile communications is a plus)
• Must have strong written and verbal communication skills
• Must have strong presentation skills necessary for creative presentations to clients
• Must be fluent in Adobe Creative Suite with a special focus on Photoshop, Flash and
   After Effects
• Must be able to produce work from concept to final art work with exceptional sensitivity
   towards typography, photo and image manipulation and user interface design

Oh, and you must be nice to work with :)

In return we offer a competitive salary, unique benefits and a great culture. 

To apply for the role of Art Director please send your CV and online portfolio to careers@brandhealth.ca. For more information check out brandhealth.ca.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Leviathan

Le Grand Palais, Paris, France
Inspiration can come in many forms. It could be a beautiful painting, the written word or even a funny YouTube video. This spring, inspiration came to me in the form of the ‘Leviathan’.

What’s that you ask? Well, let me tell you.

A few months ago a co-worker and friend, Mark, posted a Facebook link to this year’s Monumenta. For those of you who don’t know (and I didn’t know at the time!!)
Monumenta is the indoor art project that fills the vast and très belle hall of the Grand Palais Museum in Paris (France) with a single contemporary work of art for five weeks every spring. The post immediately caught my interest because coincidently, I was in the midst of planning a trip to Paris! The sheer monumental scale of the Grand Palais provided the inspiration for: Monumenta. But, last year’s Monumenta project, by the French artist Christian Boltanski – “heaps of used clothes highlighting the plight of the dispossessed” – didn’t even come close to realizing the possibilities of the 13,500 m2 of space. BTW - I have the same sculpture in my bedroom. 


Monumenta 2010 by Christian Boltanski.


This year’s installation was
“Leviathan” by Anish Kapoor, Indian-born, British-based artist and the creator of many contemporary art structures, to name a couple of interest to me: Chicago’s Cloud Gate and the Orbit Tower – currently being built at the 2012 Olympic site. The Orbit Tower is positioned to be London’s version of the Eiffel Tower and to be completed the end of this year. Knowing a bit of Anish’s reputation I knew the Leviathan would not disappoint.


The Orbit Tower under construction.


On May 11, 2011,
“Leviathan,” opened to huge amounts of critical and popular praise. Critics likened the piece to a beached whale or giant wombs. But looking at the pictures made me feel that... “I’m-going-to-miss-it-panic” that sets in when hearing about a far-away piece that’s clearly going to become one of those historically, influential works. I get that feeling a lot but this time... off to Paris I flew to actually see it! I had no idea what I was about to experience.

I made my visit to Le Grand Palais on a Sunday night at 11:00 pm. With not a single person in line I paid my 5 Euros and was immediately ushered into a darkened entrance hall
, through a doorway into an immense, red womb-like space. I gasped out loud (GOL) in awe and amazement. It was lightly lit through its membrane-like surface which looked soft and almost velvet-like. Looking upward, gaping orifices open out into three unreachable pod-like spaces. I was in the Leviathan... with no sense of the surrounding environment. Maybe it was because it was way past my bedtime but the experience felt meditative and dream-like.
Passing back out into the entrance area, I was directed through another door into the main entrance of the hall where I’m hit and overwhelmed by a gigantic globular rubber structure – the exterior of the Leviathan. Moving through the arches of the Leviathan, I truly felt... antlike, yet far from feeling oppressed. This immense mass before me glowed and whichever way I looked or moved I was hit by some extraordinary new vista and wonderment.
The structure’s central space and three extensions appeared as immense purple rubber spheres projecting into the three parts of the hall, challenging the vaulted greenhouse-like roof and surrounding art nouveau balconies. It was perfect in it’s symmetry and oddly elegant in it’s form.
The juxtaposition of the two structures – Le Grand Palais and the Leviathan – was exhilarating and inspiring. Thank you Anish for a once in a life time experience. It was unforgettable.

Of course I took a million pictures... Voilà my 2011 inspiration, the Leviathan. Enjoy.
















Monumenta 2011 'Leviathan' by Anish Kapoor
Le Grand Palais, Paris, France
May 11 to June 23, 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

The bar is now open!



The bar at the newly renovated Market Hall that is... Affectionately named the "BrandHealth Bar" in recognition of a generous $40,000 donation from the partners at BrandHealth - Paul, Chris and Mike.

Officially christened Thursday evening, BrandHealth staffers were hosted by Karen August, Market Hall General Manager, and her team to a private cocktail party and tour. We were impressed to see the bar was well stocked with beer, Malibu Rum and our very own BrandHealth martini!! But, we were even more impressed to see the new venue. One word... WOW! 

I met Karen two years ago as we collaborated on fundraising materials. I remember the office area wallpapered with architectural drawings, plans and wishful thinking... To see it all come to life this week gave me goose bumps. It's truly inspiring to see a community come together to support the arts and I'm so proud that BrandHealth could play a big part in that. Congratulations Karen to you and your team! Your passion and dedication to this worth while cause is contagious! 

For over one hundred years Market Hall has been a Peterborough landmark, first as home to the city’s market and, for the last 25 years, as an arts centre. Located in the heart of downtown Peterborough, it's clocktower marks the corner of George and Charlotte. Just a hop, skip and jump from BrandHealth. To see what's happening at Market Hall check out their calendar of events at http://www.markethall.org/calendar.php

To learn more about the donation read Paul Hickey's blog at http://tiny.cc/0mlul

Photo credit http://tiny.cc/kcpwr 

Here's to another 100 great years at Market Hall, Cheers!!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Kyle's review on the new Color app



“Color Labs in California recently released a Smartphone app that will work with both iPhone and Android phones. With the goal to change the face of social networking, Color has a lot on its plate however it has also had an incredible amount of investments put towards it. With a reported $41 million start up cost and the extra measure of covering all the windows, Color has already established that it means business. So what exactly will this breakthrough app do for consumers and businesses?

Color uses the phones built in GPS to share pictures and videos you take with anyone within 150 feet of you who has the color app as well. According to color labs, the idea behind the app is that it is public and everything will be shared which has many consumers including myself hesitant. Additionally there are few (if any) security features allowing room for potential blackmail, increase in sexting rates, theft, and many other complications. Color also declared that when a picture is added to color’s network it will not leave and becomes the property of color labs. This alone has deterred many users as it has not yet been disclosed why color would need to own the pictures.

Besides Color’s issues it will have an incredible impact on news and historical records. Most likely the reason the photos are saved by Color Labs is to have the pictures for historical information as each photo taken will record the location and time the photo was taken. With thousands if not millions of people use the app everyday as “Color” has predicted, we will also see a rise in citizen based news reporting.

The app also gives businesses the opportunity to display photos of products or sales in order to catch the attention of a nearby shopper. The 150 foot radius allows for the business to attract people who are close to their store which will be a compelling form of advertising. Facebook and other social media websites have allowed for mobile devices to receive advertisements previously but never so accurately and to a target precise audience. 

As a final note about “Color”, founder of Color Labs, Bill Nguyen claims “[he] wants people to begin the debate, do [you] want to live in an open world? Color makes life more like a small town where you share things with your neighbours.” ”

-Kyle, BrandHealth high school intern


My two cents...

Great review Kyle! And, thank you for bringing this app to my attention. The lack of privacy and control for the user is a little creepy and every review I have read completely trashes this app!! Needless to say I had to check it out. I downloaded Color. I signed up as my cat Kurt and took a picture of my cat to share... Sadly, no one else was available to share photos. So, much for being social. Hmmm, this could be a problem.

I looked into the technology of this app and it’s pretty amazing. Where all the social media tools are using GPS location to determine where you are in comparison to others. This app goes even further using your phone’s microphone to match the sounds around you with the sounds around other people. It is also able to analyze objects and lighting within the photos you upload to determine who is located near you. This is stuff from a sci-fi movie... Or CSI. You’ve gotta admit that’s pretty cool technology.


Color may also be the first social app that never requires you to name your friends, list your contacts or follow someone. Instead, it watches your interactions and builds your so-called elastic network of friends based on your real relationships. The result: no more fake digital friendships.

So, let’s give this app a break and fast forward to 5 years from now. To a visual person like myself who likes to post visual diaries on Facebook, I think this app has huge ‘ruling the social media world’ potential. The question is... How do you get everyone to use it??  
Double tap, kill application... Ummm, maybe not quite yet.

Monday, April 4, 2011

A word from Kyle, our BH high school intern


"My name is Kyle Kelly and I recently started a co-op placement with BrandHealth. I was recently accepted to Humber College for the Applied Bachelor of Arts: Creative Advertising Degree program. I saw that BrandHealth could offer me opportunities that I would not have with a regular school program which is why I applied for a placement

When I began my placement I had quite high expectations due to BrandHealth winning the employer of the year and I was not let down. I was immediately accepted throughout the business and have had the opportunity to see how the advertising industry works. In the four weeks that I have been with Brand Health I have helped with designing a logo, sat in on meetings, and worked on numerous photo shoots. 

I have also received help and pointers on my own work which has improved my skill with programs such as Photoshop. Because of the nature of the industry I have also been exposed to programs that I would have otherwise not used. I believe that the knowledge of programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Flash will benefit me when I go to school next year as I won’t have to learn as much of the program. 


BrandHealth’s staff is very knowledgeable and easy going which creates a very positive environment to enter as a high school student. The young, fresh approach to advertising is an environment that truly sets that bar for me and over the next few months I expect that I will only gain more Knowledge and skills about the industry as I spend more time with the BrandHealth team."    – Kyle



I’m very pleased that we could offer Kyle this internship at BrandHealth. I’m also happy to hear he is learning a lot from the team. I have to admit, I always hesitate when it comes to high school interships as I never know if we can provide enough challenges to the students in such a limited timeframe. I do hope Kyle can look upon this opportunity as a great learning experience. In a short period of time he has shown maturity and initiative beyond his years. Any task he is given he does well and exceeds expectations. I know he has made himself very valuable to BrandHealth and we are most appreciative of all the work he has done.

So, for the last part of your internship, Kyle... I will be challenging you with creating an internal video from concept to final execution.
If you are reading this, come and see me and I will brief you on this project.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

we nede A proof reeder.



This is our latest billboard on the 115, heading towards Peterborough. 


The ideal candidate will have experience working in an advertising agency, marketing department or public relations firm. You must possess excellent writing and grammatical skills. Experience in Healthcare and the ability to proof and edit in English and French is an asset. If you are ready to work with some of the best brands, clients and mentors in the industry we want to hear from you.

Purpose of Position:
• Proofreading and copy editing all documents, letters, DVDs and presentations of the company before presenting to clients, before regulatory submissions, and prior to and after layout in studio
• Proofreading all subsequent copy changes
• Proofreading all layouts and subsequent changes made to them
• Making corrections to all copy documents and clearly track all changes
• Proofreading all French translations before text is flowed into layout
• Comparing English copy to French translation for accuracy of language and to make sure copy has not been missed
• Making sure copy changes to English are reflected in French
• Creating copy documents as required
• Copyediting all of the above and provide suggestions for improvement where appropriate
• Communicating with translators as required
• Communicating with copywriters as required



Definitions:

Proofreading assures the accuracy of the documents, advertisements, DVDs, Power Point presentations, etc. produced by BrandHealth. Proofreading includes checking for correct spelling, trademark symbols, reference and cross-reference ordering, symbol usage and logo usage/placement. It also includes looking for typographical errors, copy/paste errors, correct layout alignment and breaks. A proofreader must also compare French to English copy and layouts to make sure they match.

Copyediting assures the quality, clarity and accuracy of the copy produced by BrandHealth, the client and the copywriters (in-house or freelance). This includes editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation, checking for consistency (language and facts). In situations where translation of copy is required, a bilingual copy editor compares the accuracy of French translations to original English copy.

If you or someone you know might be interested in applying, please forward a cover letter and CV to
careers@brandhealth.ca

Good luck!! 

Friday, March 11, 2011

Another BH thank you lunch? You betcha



I know I compliment everyone every chance I get, for the work that you do here at BrandHealth, but there is so much more that we – your managers - and the partners are thankful for that isn’t printed, programmed, proofed or presented. (Ooohhhh, I think I feel a list coming on...) 


3 things that BHers do that we are thankful for

Thank you for all your sacrifices. Taking personal time away from friends and family to get the job done, on time and done well. I know it is not always easy to do and as your manager I will always do what I can to work around your lives. But, when you do make that decision to put work first, we know it is a big sacrifice and we are so very appreciative.

Thank you for always pushing beyond your limits whether it is creatively or strategically, mentally or physically. We all have our limits and there are many times we are exhausted. Yet time and time again I see you reach beyond and bring more and more to the team. I see you stepping up to help others when you yourself are already carrying a heavy workload. We know BrandHealth standards are high but you never fail to meet them. Your dedication goes beyond what most jobs call for and what most people are capable of but we want you to know it does not go unnoticed.

Thank you for being smart, talented, fun, honest, caring and passionate people. Our days are filled with tight deadlines and stressful situations but you make it such a pleasure to work here. Without you this company wouldn’t be as successful as it is. As a manager I can’t begin to tell you what a privilege it is to work with such a talented and dedicated group of people. Please don’t think I don’t appreciate every minute dedicated to meeting our clients’ demands. To your friends and family, I can’t possibly expect them to understand why you are working on the weekend or coming home in the wee hours of the night. But, please give them a big thank you too!

On behalf of management at BrandHealth, this lunch was to all the great people who worked on making our clients’ National Sales Meetings a big success. ANOTHER thank you lunch? Yes. Honestly, we just don’t think we can thank everyone enough. This lunch was dedicated to you. Thank you... Wings and beer!! Cheers!!









Thursday, March 10, 2011

My personal infographic

Create your own info graphics  http://www.ionz.com.br/index.html

They built an info graph that is a simplified map of my personality and represents my relation in the universe of people that have also participated. 
Answer nine questions and ionz will create your own Personal Infograph, showing how you compare to everyone else who has also answered the questions. You can then personalize your infograph by changing the colors, adding a personal message, change the layout, change the background color and add a picture. Then you can save the image as your wallpaper. Fun!



'Are you happy?' infographic

Could finding happiness be this easy??? In an infographic it is!

Agency-related infographics

Some concepts need an infographic to communicate it's point. I found a couple agency-related infographics that may come in very handy with clients :)



Information is beautiful

Information, especially complex information, can be overwhelming and often not communicated if presented incorrectly. Infographics is the art of taking complex information organizing it and designing it to be understood quickly, clearly and aesthetically. If you don’t know anything about infographics I will introduce you to some great examples I’ve found online. In fact, I’ve found so many great infographics I will have to do it with a few blogs. Showing you that by creating an infographic you can make complex information beautiful, comprehensive and memorable. Here are two examples of what I'm talking about.







 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Mmmm... pancakes!




Whether you observe Lent or not, what better day to whip up a batch of yummy pancakes than, well, Pancake Tuesday?

Pancakes make for a great morning. And, it’s a good sign when you don’t blow a fuse! I think BrandHealth should start everyday like this. All you can eat pancakes with your choice of apple compote, fresh fruit, real maple syrup, fake syrup and whip cream.

Thank you to Mark for his splendid photos! Thank you to our organizers and flippers – Kendra, Tracy, Christine, and Mike, directed by our in-house pancake expert, Chris. (Paul, you and your homemade waffles were missed!) We thought we would keep it simple with just pancakes à la Aunt Jemima. And, I think that worked out just fine. The apple compote I made went over really well... Well, everyone ‘said’ they liked it. Lol - thank you.

As I sat with Randi, Deanna, Diana and Sarah to eat my pancakes, I couldn’t help but think how uniquely, wonderful BrandHealth is as a company. We are fortunate to call each other not just co-workers, but friends too. On behalf of everyone at BrandHealth a big thank you to the partners for again supporting, encouraging and participating in these events. I know how much behind the scenes work it takes and it would probably be easier to not do it at all. But, that is never an option. For that I am grateful. It’s what fuels my dedication to this company. I will never take for granted all the appreciation you show us - your employees - and I know you don’t see us ‘as employees’ which is a big part of why BrandHealth is such a special place to work.

So! By my calculations... About 6 dozen pancakes + 4 Litres of Nata’s coffee + 3 jugs of juice + 3 cups of apple compote + 4 bowls of strawberries and bananas + 2 cans of whip cream + 2 litres of syrup + one pound of butter = 20 happy Brandhealth tummies!

To the few BHers that missed it, here are the pics... Sorry, no leftovers!




Sunday, March 6, 2011

Baking my way through advertising


My dreams of opening a bakery/flower shop may have to wait. I don't have any plans to quit my advertising job anytime soon. But, I love to bake. What's a girl to do? Hmmm, perhaps I can bake for the people I work for? Spending my Sunday, well at least an hour, making apple compote for our Pancake Tuesday staff breakfast. I've never made this before. I hope it tastes as good as it looks!!

The recipe is simple: apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes. Voilà!






Friday, March 4, 2011

A snazzy little package design



A few weeks ago, I noticed these great little package wrappers that were designed for one of our clients. We don't often get a chance to work on package design at BrandHealth, so it was nice to see this opportunity come across Graeme's desk. It's simplicity, typography and bold use of colour is beautiful. Graeme - I can tell you have an inner package designer dying to get out! Great job and here are a few words from Lynne too... 


"For the GSK NSM BH was asked to provide gifts enclosed in a branded “wrapper” for the sales force as a thank you for their work in the field and to add some momentum to the meeting room. Based on the gift chosen (iPad cleansing kits), Graeme came up with a great design and effective way of wrapping the kits. They looked awesome in the meeting room and the reps and marketing team loved them. Thanks to Graeme for providing such an awesome design and for pulling all of this together!" – Lynne

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Augmented reality...okay, this is a little scary, but kinda cool.




To anyone over 35, anything to do with social media is a little scary. Hey, we grew up in the era of landline telephones (not the mobile ones, kids) and televisions with bunny ears (not these flat screen things that hang on the wall). Remember the days when everyone was a little concerned about using a ‘microwave’ and when you were asked for an address it was for a house location not a virtual contact?

But, we’ve all seem to manage. Almost all of us have a digital footprint out there on that thing called a ‘worldwide web’. We’ve lived through Web1.0 and adapting quickly to Web2.0 - Perhaps you tweet or blog or have a page on ‘TheFacebook’. Well, just when you thought you’ve got it all figured out let me prepare you for what’s in store for mobile communications. Some of you young ones are already into this technology, but this blog is for the benefit of the older generation. I’ll let you classify yourselves into whichever group you want.

Before I get into augmented reality, I have to tell you about geo-location. According to Wikipedia - “
Geolocation is the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a cell phone.” The latest craze in social networking is an iPhone app called Foursquare. (It’s actually been out for a couple of years and as of January 2011 has over 6 million registered users.) I’m on it, of course, but not a big fan. I consider it a stalker tool but... I fall into that ‘older’ generation.

What is Foursquare? Foursquare is a location-based social network. It uses your phone’s built-in GPS to display restaurants, bars and other attractions in the city you are in. When you visit any of these locations you “check-in” on the app – and here’s the social networking part – it then broadcasts your location to your friends. You can also see where your friends have checked-in. After you have checked-in you can write reviews and tips for that location and read what other users have written. You can collect points and badges, blah, blah, blah. Check it out if you are interested. Friend me if you want, maybe it will encourage me to use it more!

If you have the Facebook app you might have tried checking into the Places icon. That is location-based social networking. Other location-based social networking apps/games are: Gowalla, Block Chalk (neighbourhood interactions), Blumapia (for boaters), and Junaio (with augmented reality). This one I will test out as it is going to be the future of location-based social networking and the purpose of this blog.

Augmented reality (AR).
I watched a show on augmented reality a few years ago about a new technology hitting Japan. In 2009, AR took it’s first steps into the mainstream of social networking. I don’t know how it works but this technology superimposes graphics, audio and other sense enhancements from computer or cellphone screens onto real time environments. The graphics are not static. In AR systems, the superimposed graphics show every perspective and adjust to every movement of the user's head and eyes. It is forecasted that by the end of this decade, the first mass-produced AR systems will hit the market. I recently heard that Apple bought the rights to holographic projection technology meaning... The ultimate AR app for the iPhone5?!!

Of course this means nothing unless we talk application... I’m sure video games will be the natural progression, where you are interacting in this augmented reality. Car companies, like BMW, are already using this technology to showcase their cars in motion. In a personal dating scenario you could set tags to yourself via your phone like – single, gemini, likes and interests. In AR these tags would appear as bubbles around your body. Switch your information for your professional life and the tags could be your title, where you work, your Linkedin profile. Then at a meeting someone could hold up their phone to see your information in this augmented reality, and simply click to save your information. Basically, using your face as a social business card. Here’s a good one. Perhaps there will be a device that criminals would have to carry around with them. With AR you could identify them... Who are the sex offenders in your neighbourhood? If that was to happen would crime rates drop? Scary! Right?? But, kinda cool.


I haven’t hit the real possibilities that AR has to offer. But, I have downloaded that Junaio app. It was free. It will surprise me if it works in Peterborough but I do have a trip planned for Europe in the spring. Perhaps this augmented reality will come to life for me then. I will definitely keep you posted. Till then, google AR. there are a lot of videos demonstrating what I’ve tried to explain. And, if you want to get your feet wet with some location-based social networks check out this site. It was updated December 2010 and lists an incredible amount of different apps: http://bdnooz.com/lbsn-location-based-social-networking-links/ 


I think I’m going to enjoy my real life while I still can.